Marlton, N.J. – Since the early 1980s, Robinson Printing in Temecula, Calif.  has claimed the catbird seat in a niche dedicated to the commercial printing and finishing of multifold IFUs (instructions for use) for the medical device, cosmetic, vitamin, dental, and veterinary markets.

The company’s special expertise involves the use of very lightweight papers that are printed on both offset and digital presses, then finished on equipment capable of the precise, consistent folding of these delicate sheets. For this reason, the company recently turned to its longtime postpress partner MBO America, to install a KL 112 miniature folder—Robinson’s second—to accommodate increased business volume from its medical device customers.

“It Meets Every Need”

Eight fold plates in the first unit and six in the second mean the company enjoys plenty of flexibility in using the KL 112 for a wide variety of folds. “We rarely get the same consecutive setups, so we prize the KL 112’s fold-plate configurability,” said Robinson’s production manager Jeff Blount. “It meets every need. When we bought this folder, I fell in love with it.” The company uses the KL 112 to fold mostly IFUs down to 5/8” in quantities from 100 to several hundred thousand at a time. In addition to IFUs of every description, Robinson Printing also produces product boxes and trays, booklets, flyers, and brochures.

“There aren’t too many providers working with these extremely thin papers, “said company CFO and third-generation printer Mike Robinson, highlighting the company’s main competitive advantage and the reason Robinson Printing invests in finishing equipment expertly designed to handle lightweight papers. “Because of the types of papers we use, we have to be very precise in our setup, and our shop floor is climate-controlled to minimize paper handling issues,” Robinson said. Printed sheets spend only a brief time on pallets waiting to be folded, and folded product is stacked and immediately shrink-wrapped to protect it.

MBO’s KL 112 mini-folding unit was developed specifically for lightweight paper processing. Standard features include dual calibrating fold rollers, gear-driven rollers, ultrasonic double-sheet detection, integrated batch counter, noise hoods, and MS Control. Robinson Printing also chose a 177 Vertical Stacking Delivery, which delivers tightly bound miniature folded product with the highest degree of precision and control.

A Legacy of Service

The company has a long history with MBO, having purchased eight folders in the past dozen years. “Since very few things go wrong with MBO folders, most of these are still in operation,” Robinson said. At present, the company operates three MBO E0x40” large-format folders, two KL-model folders, and the newly installed KL 112 mini-folder. With respect to the latter, “We had a very good installation, and we enjoy professional, responsive service from MBO out of Arizona,” Robinson said. “MBO is an excellent company to work with.”

Certified to the ISO 9001:2008 standard for quality and cGMP-compliant to ensure the proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities, Robinson Printing is committed to providing exceptional quality and service to a loyal customer base. “We have been doing this type of work for many years and have established a solid reputation for high-quality work and top-flight service, such that our customers continue to rely on us,” Robinson said. “Our mission is to provide the best customer service we can by staying agile and creative enough to fulfill customer demands and meet their deadlines.”

Looking Ahead

That said, the business used to be a lot more predictable than it is now, he cautioned. “Every medical company is under the gun to produce things faster and more economically, and that means customer needs and tastes drive not only what we do, but how economically we can do it,” he said. Never a company to rest on its abundant laurels, Robinson Printing plans to proactively pursuing new business by attending or exhibiting at trade shows like the upcoming Pack Expo in Las Vegas and making other types of outreach to potential customers.

Now in its 9^th decade and with a fifth generation of the family now involved in the business, Robinson Printing operates with a staff of 36 out of a 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Temecula, located in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego. The company serves a regional, national and international clientele.